HOLOTHURIOIDEA 



651 



FAMILY SYNAPTIDAE. 



Characters as given above: 21 genera and nearly 100 species. 

 Key to the genera of Synaptidae here described: 



a : Calcareous bodies are anchors and plates 1. LEPTOSYNAPTA 



2 Calcareous bodies are wheels 2. CHIBIDOTA 



1. LEPTOSYNAPTA Verrill. Body long, worm-like, and semi-trans- 

 parent; 10 to 13 pinnate tentacles present; 1 stone canal and Polian 

 vessel; calcareous bodies in form of anchors with serrate arms accom- 

 panied by perforated plates : 9 species. 



L. inhaerens (0. F. Miiller) (Fig. 995). Tentacles 12, each of which 

 has 5 to 7 pairs of side branches; color whitish; length 10 to 30 cm.; 

 thickness 5 to 10 mm.: Maine to South Carolina; common in the sand 

 from the shore to 100 fathoms; Pacific coast; 

 Europe. 



L. roseola Verr. Tentacles 12, each of 

 which has 2 or 3 pairs of side branches; color 

 rosy red; length 10 cm. or less: Cape Cod to 

 Long Island Sound, under stones and occasion- 

 ally in the sand, near low-water mark, not so 

 common as the preceding; Bermuda. 



2. CHIRIDOTA Eschscholtz. Tentacles 12, 

 each with a short stalk which widens distally 

 and bears 3 to 10 pairs of side branches ; cal- 

 careous bodies in form of wheels usually with 6 

 spokes: 12 to 15 species. 



C. laevis (Fabricius). Papillae containing 

 the wheels in rows of 20 to 30 in each dorsal 



interambulacral area and 3 to 12 in each ventral area; color pink to 

 translucent white ; length 10 to 15 cm. : Cape Cod and.-northwards, from 

 low-water mark to 45 fathoms, also in deeper water; locally abundant; 

 Europe; Pacific. 



Fig. 995 



Leptosynapta inhoerens 

 (from Bronn). 



